A gunman, wearing a shirt with the phrase “Property of Allah,” opened fire at a Texas bar, leading authorities to suspect he might have been an Islamic terrorist influenced by recent U.S. actions in Iran, according to police reports.
In the early hours of Sunday, the shooter attacked a crowded bar in Austin, resulting in two fatalities and 14 injuries before officers neutralized him in a return of gunfire.
During a press conference, FBI officials revealed that the suspect, whose identity remains undisclosed, possessed materials suggesting a possible link to terrorism.
According to police sources cited by the New York Post, the gunman is a U.S. citizen originally from Senegal. He may have been driven by the U.S. military strikes on Iran. Authorities discovered a Quran in his vehicle and noted he was dressed in traditional Islamic attire during the attack.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin reported that the shooter wore a shirt emblazoned with “Property of Allah” and possibly had an undershirt or T-shirt featuring the Iranian flag or symbols related to Iran underneath.
The suspect has a history of arrests in Texas and is believed to have resided in New York City from 2000 to 2008, according to police sources.
The horror unfolded at Buford’s bar on West Sixth Street in Austin’s Entertainment District just before 2am on Sunday, officials said.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the gunman never entered the bar, but fired at patrons from the street with a handgun and a rifle.
A total of 17 people were shot in the spree – 14 were injured and taken to hospital, while three were pronounced dead at the scene. Three of those hospitalized remain in critical condition.
The potential terror link comes as the shooting took place just hours after the US led strikes against Iran, which officials warned heightened the threat that a terror cell could retaliate.
Following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the strikes on Saturday, Iranian officials vowed to seek revenge against the US.
A gunman wearing a ‘Property of Allah’ shirt who opened fire on a Texas bar may have been an Islamic terrorist motivated by the US strikes on Iran, police sources say
At least three people have been killed and 14 more wounded in a mass shooting in Austin, Texas on Sunday morning
Footage shared to social media showed a heavy police presence at the scene, as a shirtless individual lay dead in the street. It is unclear if the deceased person was the shooter or a victim
Davis described the shooting as a ‘tragic, tragic incident’, and praised the bravery of responding officers who were ‘faced with an individual with a gun.’
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also said he was ‘very thankful for the speed with which our public safety officials responded to this… I don’t think there’s any question that it saved lives.’
Footage shared to social media showed a heavy police presence at the scene, as a shirtless individual lay dead in the street.
Separate footage showed party-goers crouching in fear inside the bar as police arrived on the scene, before several more gunshots rang out – indicating the gunman opened fire again as law enforcement arrived before they were shot dead.
Patrons were seen in videos tending to the wounded with police officers, as victims screamed in pain.
The identities of the victims and the suspect have not been released.
Videos posted online show Buford’s bar was packed moments before the shooting, as a large crowd of partiers were on the bar’s dancefloor when the gunman opened fire.
Officials said at a press conference that police and paramedics were stationed near to the Buford’s bar as routine for a weekend in Austin’s entertainment district.
Patrons were seen in videos tending to the wounded with police officers, as victims screamed in pain
FBI agents seen arriving at the scene on Sunday
FBI officials said at a press conference Sunday that the suspect in the shooting, who was killed by police and has not been identified, had materials that ‘were indications of a potential nexus to terrorism
Paramedics arrived on the scene just 57 seconds after the shooting began, officials said.
Authorities have not offered any indication as to the gunman’s motive or what led up to the shooting.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as information is confirmed.
